Camino de Santiago with Manni Coe

The BBC Radio 4 programme "Ramblings" is broadcasting a series of programmes on "Camino de Santiago" (the Way of St. James) where different routes are explored with different pilgrims, guides and hosts. 

The first episode is called "Camino de Santiago with Manni Coe", an author, guide and walker, who went through a deep emotional journey during the "camino" to overcome a personal trauma and find forgiveness. This programme contains a number of relaxed conversations and some descriptions of the landscape, but, as there are no subtitles and it is quite long (23':50"), it can be recommended for C2 students and above. Lower level students could use the following vocabulary list as a listening guide: chilly, crops, brotherly [love], a foundational [month], Down syndrome, to come up with [an idea], to give up, tough, [his] pace, roles reversed, [to open my] consciousness, the scallop [shell], an insignia, faithful,  a [route] to converge, a pungent [smell], to sprout, moss, a [red] tile, a sleepy [village], a [rain] cover, a [recognized] pilgrimage, the tomb [of Santiago], within your means, an upturn [scalop shell], [to collect] stamps, "compostela" (credential), an up-and-coming [route], a [strong] odour [of cows], to rock up, to wing it, St James' appeal, a hermit, "compostela" (field of stars), to hand draw, to rage [down], a drop [of 40 meters], a [single]-arch [bridge], a steep [peak], stonemasons' [insignia], moss & ivy, lichen, to lean over [the balcony], a vocal [dog], a little hamlet, a [raised] [grain-]storage [building], on stilts, grills, stone pillars, to be brought up [in the Church of England], [my faith] to fall apart, the confession, a [public] forum, trauma, [to be] set [at our house], to come up with [the title of the book], to be groomed, to be abused, a vicar, to press charges, to go to court, circumstantial evidence, earthly [father], skewed, to acknowledge [what happened], [a case] to stand up [in court], rage, guilt, to struggle [to forgive], to release [it], shattered, a breakdown, the ramparts [of the castle], to pick up on [the signs], gay, to blame, [for as long as it] takes, to bring them up, fishhooks, to collapse, a gate, to grab [each other], a stream, to flush [them away], baggage, to shed, a healing [process], not linear, a [continuous] mindset, to catch you off guard, thrilled, to catch up.

Other episodes of the series include "Camino Francés with Maggie McLean"  who is a missioner, a reverend canon and one of the first women who was ordained in the Church of England, and "Living on the Camino de Santiago" with Andrea Abbatemarco, who left his life in Milan to run a hostel for pilgrims on the Sanabrés route. Shortly, the episodes "Camino Inglés with Jannine and Sally", "Arriving in Santiago de Compostela with Sharon, Shirley and friends" and "Camino Memories in Penicuik" will be broadcast.

If you want to watch a short, lighthearted video of "El Camino", you can just click on this BBC-2 clip below:

Gloriously Uncrowded Zaragoza

Paul Tierney has just written a detailed description of "gloriously uncrowded" Zaragoza for travellers in The Times, "The northeastern Spanish city with a surprising tapas scene", which mentions some of the tourist attractions of this little-known, unassuming city whose rich history closely mirrors the history of Spain at large. 

The article features a massive display of precise, often humorous, expressions that could be useful for C1 students (and above) trying to expand their vocabulary on the topics "cities, food and tourism", for example: a [surprising tapas] scene, a mighty [baroque church], an under-the-radar [weekend], to loom over [the River Ebro], to go unnoticed, an [architectural] powerhouse, a stronghold, the formidable [Basilica del Pilar], ochre, a dome, to cast [a glow], to glint, the brickwork, to echo, to put to shame, overhyped [Barcelona], cramped, a maze, a local, to jostle, to ooze, garlicky [gambas], to swell, a [flower] offering, the faint-hearted, unvarnished, at a glance, to blend, meandering [cobbled streets], to heave, [party] ephemera, to soak, laid-back, a show-stopper, flanked, backlit, blessed, carved [ceilings], mini-me, Moorish, compelling, a glimpse, layered, granted, an alley, oil-spitting, crowned, parsley, pie, mash, to top, overlooked, a chapel, a soaring [needle], brutalist, beguiling, the draw, to stud, a fruit gum, to flood, a beam, a crib, to grab, the foundations, [to be] tucked, meaty, a gyoza, lacquered, packed, boisterous, a clan, at the helm, wisecrack, to spill [on], a [modern] spin, camp, bric-a-[chic], tiered, car-boot, brasserie, to be lined, vintage, crackly, wholesome [plates], finesse, a cast, to stare at [you], a haunt, starchy, a [gastro-]hub, a bite, [no] frills [low bills], overkill, varnished, unflashy, wallet-friendly, [accommodation] bang, an olive's throw, to sample, sleek, respite, the [urban] sprawl, up to scratch, deftly, to put the world to rights, to haunt, crash pad, [to strew, strewed], strewn, to plunder, goose-bump, to shimmer, to catch up with, a fleet, a jumping off point, a foodie [city]. 

EXAM WARNING: do not try to memorize the most difficult expressions to force them into your monologue in the oral exam, it usually sounds unnatural or just wrong (this article is a written text, people do not talk like that!). Learning vocabulary is a slow process that takes time, involves reading extensively and requires forgetting new words a few times, before they finally get fixed in your active memory. What you can do, perhaps, is to find one or two expressions or collocations that you are already familiar with, but you do not normally use, and improve the precision and richness of your expression in a gentle manner. My favourite expression in the long list of vocabulary above is "to put the world to rights" but I am not sure it will be very useful in an oral exam.

Bike Buses to School in Cardiff, Valencia and Barcelona

 

Cardiff has started a new scheme to help children bike to school safely, Hywel Griffith and Antonia Matthews report for BBC News in "Bike bus in Cardiff creates safety in numbers on school run". The idea is to plan bike routes where groups of children, with the supervision of some adults, can start the day with energy and oxygen in their brains, an initiative that was promoted by Bike Bus World, an American non-profit group, and Sustrans in the U.K., and has caught on in Spain -Violeta Peraita reports for Levante newspaper- in CEIP Cervantes de Alboraia, Valencia and in other schoolos like Xirinacs school, Barcelona. The BBC article is short and simple, so it can be recommended for B1 students who can pick up expressions like: a [bike] ride, to set [pupils] up for [a successful school day], non-profit, a charity, a marshal, to pick up [children], to foster [a sense of community], a convoy, loads [of fun], [to have a] chat. 

Below you can watch a video where folk singer and nationalist politician Dafydd Iwan sings along with many school children Yma o Hyd, the song that is mentioned in the BBC News article. This song is usually chanted when Wales plays international rugby or football matches to intimidate their rivals. You can watch Yma o Hyd in Welsh with Welsh subtitles right underneath these lines, to have a first exposure to Welsh language:

Best Places to Travel in 2025

Are you tired of winter? Have you had enough of chilly nights, foggy mornings, rain, sleet and gale-force winds? Of course we are right in the middle of winter, halfway through the winter solstice and the spring equinox, time to celebrate the Gaelic Imbolc festival or the Christian Candlemas feast or St. Brigid's Day in Ireland..., or time to start planning your next holiday!

If you want to learn which are the coolest (and the hottest) holiday destinations this year you can read the BBC report The 25 best places to travel in 2025, and you will find sustainable holidays in exotic landscapes like Haa Valley, Bhutan (above) or the Western Australia bubblegum-pink lakes (below). The article is a compilation of 25 short, but vocabulary rich, descriptions with a picture, where context can help you to guess the meaning of unknown words, so the article (or a selection of destinations) can be recommended for highly-motivated B2+ students, C1 students and above. Here you can find a lesson plan for B2/C1 students with reading, vocabulary and speaking tasks (for the Word version, please click here). Some of the expressions students can pick up are:

 

[pink] bubblegum-coloured, to connect, to peer, the edge, a crashing [waterfall], sawtooth [spires], wondrous, to overwhelm, to grapple with [the negative effects], overtourism, a spot, the [cultural] heritage, to compile [a list], to soar, a bucket-list [destination], to trek, glamping. Dominica: a sperm whale, a groundbreaking [commitment to marine conservation], sustainable [tourism], to ease [arrival], to launch [a direct flight], to top [a list], a [hidden] gorge, a towering [waterfall], to feast, an eatery, a burgeoning [model]. Naoshima: polka-dotted, connoisseur, copper, to smelt, stunning, dwindling [population], unveiling of [artwork],  to scatter, one-of-a-kind, an [art] installation. The Dolomites: sawtooth [cliff], to be overwhelmed, a detour, rugged, a limestone [cliff], to sprawl, [Italians] in droves, stick-to-your-ribs [dishes], to be overlooked, to be poised [to change], to be stated [to co-host the Olympics], a ski lift, to enhance [connections to public transit], a cable car, a trail. Greenland: to span [more than 2 millio sq km], an ice cap, unspoiled wilderness, a coveted [geopolitical entity], stunning, spellbinding, dog sledding, a bucket-list [destination], a pledge, a launchpad for [hiking], a waterfront, glamping, a gateway, a jaw-dropping, gorgeous, scenic [green hills], dotted [with sheep farms]. Wales: awe-inspiring, up-and-coming, to showcase, to position [yourself], at the forefront, sustainable. Western Newfoundland and Labrador: mainland, a rugged [region], windswept, a towering [iceberg], to underpin, a boardwalk, a settlement, to enhance, to upgrade. Tucson, Arizona: to mark [an anniversay], a [hiking] trail, squash, to meld, a crop, a staple, edible [cacti], a prickly pear. Western Australia: to play second fiddle, a gateway, an [aviation] hub, to be poised [to become], to span, to encompass, pristine, bubblegum-pink [lakes], towering [forests], a winery, to snap [a selfy], a foraging [tour]. Sri Lanka: misty, a roaming [elephant], rolling [surf], to tick a box, bankrupcy, resilient, to get back on your feet, an oculus, to stargaze, to launch, a coolcation, a mixologist, to put your spin on [arrack], a startup, a tuk tuk. Panama: to hand [control], namesake, a waterway, to hint at [a possibility], to reseize, timely, to weave, lush, to boost, staggering. Rif Mountains: snowcapped [mountains], sweeping, [cultural] heritage, an earthquake, a medina, an [almond] grove, cedar, craggy [peaks], unwinding, white-washed. Bradford: to be poised [to step out], a mill, a brass band, an array of  [warehouses], a moor, rugged, an accolade. Jordan: breathtaking, stunning, to weave [through], rust, to be teeming with, illusive, to dwell, a gorge, to dive. Haa Valley, Bhutan: mesmerising, erstwhile [kingdom], nestled, pristine, graze, a bid for [visitors], canopy, a [bamboo] grove, a homestay, a glimpse. Hawaii: to devastate, a downturn, to embody, stewardship. Uzbekistan: to take over, to strive [to maintain], a startup. Haida Gwaii, Canada: off the coast, groundbreaking, [envisonmental] stewardship, a murrelet, to underscore. Emerald Coast, Nicaragua: mist-shrouded [rainforests], set [to be completed], a sprawling [capital], a [surf] hub, to lure in [backpackers], ridley, a leatherback [turtle]. Isle of Man: to be ringed, a cliff-fringed [island], Manx, brew, to partake, myriad, craggy [coastlines], a trekker, a wind-whipped [summit]. Gilgi-Baltistan, Pakistan: a slew [of initiatives], a coveted [trekking visa], a glance, to be dubbed, to brim with [lush valleys], pristine, cradled, a [cherry] blossom, an [apricot] orchard, undulating, to venture. Azores: marrooned [in the ocean], a [steaming] hot-spring, sparkling, to boast, a coral reef, a boon, eager, a scenic [drive], to hop your way, bubbling, lush, a [leisurely] stroll, bonafide. Kansas City, Missouri: a glow-up [year], heretofore, barbeque, slated [to open], renovations, an upgrade. Bolivia: to stargaze, a salt flat, to sip, a booming [town], an up-close [look], a capybara, a cougar, a macaw. Botswana: to be hailed as [a leader], high-income, to usher in [a new government], a cache, to bolster [tourism], to grant [free entry], a wetland, a cheetah, savannah, a [luxury] lodge, a blend, mokoro, an armchair safari, an owl. Oslo: tongue-in-cheek, to nod, overetourism, to sully, to showcase, to lure [visitors], [organic] produce. 

A very different list of destinations is provided by Lonely Planet, you can check it out at "Best in Travel 2025". But if you want to watch wonderful videos, you can click below on Ryan Shirley's "Top 10 Places to Visit in 2025 (Year of Travel", which is recommended for C1 students. 

Happy Imbloc/ Candlemas/ St Brigid's Day!

Petra, the Treasury of the Nabatean Civilization

Alice Morrison travels to Petra in Southern Jordan, to show Al Khazneh, the treasure of the old Nabatean civilization, a blend of ancient cultures on the old incense trade route. This BBC video clip, "The treasury of the enigmatic Nabatean civilization" (3:01), shows wonderful pictures and not many words, so, it can be recommended for B1 students and above, who can come across interesting terms like: a nomad, incense, a treasury, breathtaking, carved, a frieze, a tomb, a façade, a jar, shooting, a [solar] disc, a horn, a statement.   

If you are interested, you can watch the whole episode, "Arabian Adventures: the Secrets of the Nabateans, Episode  1" (22:53), and, futhermore "Arabian Adventures: the Secrets of the Nabateans, Episode  2" (22:48). Both episodes have subtitles and can be recommended for C1 students, some of the most interesting words is episode 1 are: a trail,to forge, harsh [conditions], swallowed up, to thrive, a clue, to delve [deep] into, to carve, a gorge, a threshold to [a city], a treasury, breathtaking, exquisite, a frieze, a tomb, a façade, a jar, a shooting, a pediment, a horn, an statement, a sandstone, a shepherd, [to play] hide and seek, a toll, a magnet, pottery, a shard, a karat, a whiff, frankincense, myrrh, off the beaten track, to eat your heart out, to dig, a shovel, brooding [rock], unrelating, impressive, a deity, to worship, a stepping stone, a scarf, a drought, a date, a dromedary, a one humped camel, an insight. Whereas in Episode 2, you will come across: a bubbling [mountain], massive, a towering [monument], a clue, a stonemason,a façade, a burial, to carve, a clean-cut [appearance], to chisel, smooth, a forerunner [of Arabic], thrilling, a nerd, to overlook [the trade route], a grid-like [system], to kick off, a lawn mower, bumpy, a timeline, to [hit] gold, skyscape, to make [somebody] tick, an artefact, a headdress, a thrill, awe-inspiring, grinding, resourceful, a priestess, to round up [our knowledge]. An introductory article to this BBC series can be found on "Alice Morrison explores ancient Nabataean secrets in new BBC series", which can be easily read by B2 students and above, with some interesting words like: to dwell, to span, to be crowned, to carve, a tomb, a sandstone, to delve into.

St. David's Day, 2024 / Dydd Gwyl Dewi, 2024

Wales is one of the four countries that constitute the United Kingdom. It is a small country, nevertheless, it has a vast literary history, a profound identity and an unwavering zest to preserve its cultural heritage. March 1st is St. David's Day, a celebration of Welshness around the world with street parades, concerts, festivals and Eisteddfods (Welsh arts & culture festivals), school games, homemade food etc. In this entry you will find a score of links to mark St. David's Day and join in the Welsh fun.

Visit Wales lists a wide range of partying activities in Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day: it starts with a brief history of Saint David, a missionary and miracle man who preached "be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things" --his biography can also be watched at length on this Trisagion Film video entitled "Do the little things".  Back to Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day, the article moves on to name the venues of the festivals, it also provides ideas to dress up, to cook traditional Welsh "cawl" soup, saussages, or cakes, and it ends up by visiting the city of St. David's and its superb cathedral. The Epic Ways to Celebrate St. David's Day text  is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting expressions like: a broadcaster, daffodils, a leek, wondrous, [to travel] far and wide, scores of [religious communities], [his] remains, to settle, to be canonized, the Pope, a parade, to pin [an emblem] to the lapel, reliable, lavish, a host of [events], heritage, a costume, to spot, a banner, a procession, to head down to [the Hayes], a rousing [rendition], a shindig, a [food] stall, cookery, arts and crafts, a [daffodil] dash, an outpouring, a random, a bake off, to fuel [it] out, homemade, a settlement, [to bring out] the bunting, undulating, a fortress, to be dotted, a big hitter, a lesser-known [spot].

The Trisagion Film video with subtitles, "Do the little things" (13:34), can be accessible for B2+ and C1 students.

If you prefer a shorter journalistic report you can read the Evening Standard's article "St. David's Day 2024: why and how Wales celebrates its patron saint." This article can be accessible to B1 students, who will come across the following vocabulary: patron saint, a bank holiday, unlike, to mark [the day], a feast, a cliff,  fierce, a nun, a claim, to found [a monastery], [a Cathedral] to stand, to host, a parade, a leek, a helmet, a dish, cawl, bara brith, to top [your cake], a [lemon] curd, a sprinkle [of sugar], [to take to] the stage, [Go to a] gig, a singer-songwriter. 

Whereas WalesOnline reports on the Croeso celebration in Swansea, which started on February 29th, with the article "Huge four-day St. David's Day Celebration in Swansea with centrepiece spectacular parade through city".

Primary school teachers can find an array of resources to decorate classrooms, to play with children, a video to watch or some PowerPoints about St. David in the link St. David's Day on Twinkl.es. Techie teachers can use digital tools to build St. David's Cathedral with Minecraft, to write a Welsh recipe with Adobe Creative Cloud Express, to create images & animations with J2e, and find some more support materials & resources around the topic of St. David on Hwb, the National Digital Learning Platform.

St. David's Day is marked all around the world. Wales Week in London takes place for a fortnight, from 22nd February to 5th March 2024, and it features arts & crafts exhibitions, artisan food & drink tasting events, concerts, theatre, business talks etc. The number of cities around the world that honour St. David's Day has been growing since the covid19 pandemic impacted the spread of commemorations across the world. In A worldwide celebration of Wales, you can find parades and festivals in Bangkok, British Columbia, Dublin, Hungary, Iran, Kansas, Melbourne, New York, Osaka, Paris, Tokyo etc.

You can finally watch the Visit Wales video to visit St. David's, the smallest city in the UK, with a population of less than 2,000 people, and listen to some its inhabitants explaining the charms of the city. This short 2:11 video without subtitles can be easily avilable for B2 students.

After reading and watching all this, you can take this online St. David's Quiz  from the blog Office Holidays, to assess how much you have learnt about Wales and its patron saint. Good luck!

'Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus' - 'Happy St David's Day' in Welsh. On this short video from We Learn Welsh, you can hear the proper Welsh pronunciation.

Best Winter Sun Holidays & Places to Visit in 2023

Playa de los Cristianos (Tenerife) has been named the best winter sun holiday destination in Europe by Holydo, a holiday rental search engine in the UK. Spain tops the list of winter sun destinations, but other featured destinations are Agios Nikolaos in Greece, Siracusa in Italy, Luz in Portugal and Cala Rossa in France. A list of the sunniest cities in Europe has also been published by Holydo Magazine, and, surpisingly enough, Zaragoza ranks number 12 in Europe!

In this article, which is suitable for B2 students, you can find descriptive adjectives and other interesting words like: average, whopping, dreamy, charming, a coastal [town], to beat, to check out, waterfront [restaurants], nearby [abandoned castles], stunning [streescapes], breathtaking [beaches], impressive [cliffs], turquoise [waters].

If you are already looking for ideas to travel in 2023, or you just want to do a little bit of online travel while it is cold and foggy outside, you can read this article from Afar.com, an experiential travel magazine from New York and San Francisco, with the 12 Best Places to Travel in 2023. The article comes with a video with subtitles (see below), which can be watched by B2 students, where you will see words like: to await, a seaside [village], to prevail, renovations, a hub, steamed [crabs], seasoning, freight, freshwater, to hop, glaciated, lobster rolls, heritage, to boast, to sit [on the shores], endangered species, vineyard, highlights, to debut, a flea market, entrepreneurial, the culinary [capital], pumpkins, meadows, to strech for [618 acres], to rewild, a cheetah, wetlands, grasslands, conservation, to figure out, to showcase, snow-capped [peaks], a thriving [art scene].